Sign Language I Love You Pin

I Love You Pin

Use your child's hand as the pattern to make this pin extra special

What You Need

Shrink plastic 

Glue gun and glue sticks

Acrylic paint, red

Krylon® Spray Paint, Sterling Silver

Permanent marker, black

1/8” diameter hole punch

Wax paper

Paintbrush, ½” wide

2 jump rings, silver

Pliers

Pin back

2 earring backs

E6000® Craft Glue

What To Do

1. Place hand flat on shrink plastic, spreading fingers slightly apart. Trace hand, using marker.
2. Cut out on inside of lines.
3. Punch hole in center of hand, 1/8” from lower edge.
4. Place heart patterns under plastic. Trace three large hearts and three small hearts. Cut out.
5. Preheat oven to 275-300 degrees. Lightly sprinkle baking sheet with baby powder and place plastic pieces on baking sheet. Place in oven. When flat, remove from oven with hot pad and let cool.
6. While hand shape is still warm, bend middle two fingers down. Refer to photo.
7. Spray hand and large hearts with paint, spraying in a well-ventilated area and following manufacturer’s instructions. Let dry.
8. Place small hearts on wax paper. Paint, using acrylic paint. Let dry.
9. Glue red hearts on silver hearts.
10. For pin, open one jump ring, using pliers. Insert jump ring through punched hole. Glue another jump ring on back upper center of heart, so a small amount is above the large heart. Let glue cool. Place jump ring on hearts through jump ring in hand. Close using pliers. Glue pin back on back of hand.
11. For earrings, glue red hearts on silver hearts. Glue earring backs to back of large hearts.

Shrink Plastic No Monsters Allowed Night Light

 

I came up with this project many, many years ago when my nephew, Justin, was afraid of monsters under his bed - he's now sixteen and definitely not afraid anymore!  This fun, yet functional project from my archives features shrink plastic that you can find at your local craft store.  Gather the entire family around the oven and watch it shrink before your eyes - it's magic!  Some of the products listed aren't available so just substitute like items.  For the baking board, sprinkle a regular cookie sheet with a little baby powder before you put your night light on it.  Sub a clear spray to protect the surface of the night light.

Here's a fabulous way to keep the kids busy while they wait for holiday festivities or any day of the year!  And, it's a recycling project too!  It uses #6 plastic containers - and things from around your home.

 

I Shrunk the Plastic

Materials Needed

Cookie cutter, plastic or other plastic item for hanger

Wire or fishing line

#6 clear plastic containers

Plastic decorations: beads, toys, etc

Permanent pens

Scissors

Hole punch, small

Cookie sheet

Oven mitt

Candle

Paperclip

Plastic ring

Glue

1” wide braid

Oven or toaster oven

Directions

Draw design on clear plastic with permanent pens. NOTE: The designs will shrink about 50% of the original size. Cut out. Punch holes in top and bottom. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place clear plastic designs on cookie sheet and place in oven until they lay flat. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from oven using oven mitt. With adult supervision, make holes in plastic decorations by heating paperclip in candle flame. Insert into plastic to make holes. Thread beads, shrink plastic designs, toys, etc. on wire, knotting below item to secure. Make holes around bottom of cookie cutter edge with hot paperclip. Thread decorated wire in hole and knot. Repeat for all wires. Make three evenly spaced holes around top of cookie cutter. Cut three 12” pieces of wire. Insert each wire into a hole and knot. Gather wire at top and tie around plastic ring adding a bead, if desired.